Tinnitus

[Benidormlover]

Hi. I am new to this forum, but felt like I needed to chat to other sufferers as I am really struggling at the moment to cope with my recent spike. I started about 10 years ago with Tinnitus and for the most part I have coped. Recently I started to suffer with Hyperacusis as well. I have been taking Amitryptyline for the past 10 years, not for depression but for nerve pain, and recently tried to come off it but found I couldn’t sleep without it ,which makes the tinnitus feel worse.I have been to the doctors a few times asking for help but they just say that there is nothing they can do ( which I know is true but it doesn’t help when you are feeling desperate!!!) and it is something that I will have to learn to live with. I have been suffering with anxiety for the past few months and the doctor has put me on 50mg Sertraline, but I am concerned that this will make it worse. I have tried to find out by looking on the internet but I just get confused by the different sites all saying different things. Has anyone found that this medication helps? I have only been taking it for 2 weeks so it is is too early to say if it is helping my anxiety which I hope will eventually help me to cope with my Tinnitus. I had my hearing tested recently and it is fine.She recommended a masker with something else built into it to help with the Hyperacusis but I am not sure I need another noise to cope with. Has anyone found these useful? Apologies for the long post. Thank You

[Happyrosie]

hello Benidormlover and welcome to this site.

One of our foromites daverussell recently posted on this very subject and I think you will find his post helpful - scroll down until you find it. or put “sertraline” into the search box on this page, top right.

[Benidormlover in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank You. I will have a look now.

[daverussell in reply to Happyrosie]

Different antidepressants work differently for people. You may need to start with trial and error I'm afraid. You will find something, but you need a positive mind set.

Be careful buying into off-the-shelf medicine. Managing the stress and your environment is key. I'm currently trying to avoid using a headband at night as I've become too reliant.

Acceptance is key, but finding appropriate times to try different things, but through a professional audiologist and councillor. Think of it as a journey and something you have to learn to live with.

[doglover1973]

Hello BL. Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry you're struggling. I suffer from anxiety and take a natural supplement L - Theanine. It may not be as effective as a drug but it helps me to cope a little better . There are other things you can do to tackle anxiety like breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. Meds are a very individual thing. You need to what's right for you.

[Benidormlover in reply to doglover1973]

Thank You for your reply. I have an app on my phone which the Hearing specialist recommended, with breathing and relaxation techniques. I need to try and get into doing them, but at the minute I am so overwhelmed by my Tinnitus. I feel as bad as I did 10 years ago when I first started with it. I am having CBT at the minute for my anxiety but I think I need them to concentrate more on my Tinnitus. Many Thanks again. It is good to know that there are people who understand how you are feeling,

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to Benidormlover]

I understand what you are going through. Habituated about 15 years ago .5 months ago took 5 statins. Now its back. Didn't want to accept it, hated my doctor. Was very depressed for months. But managing ok .

[Benidormlover in reply to Kellythecat-74]

I am so glad you are managing ok now. I am about 6 weeks into my recent spike so still struggling at the minute, but hopefully like you I can get through it. Take Care

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to Benidormlover]

you will ,. its just time , tears and trials . Going back to the old helps are not helping the same . So trying different ways. Guess thats keeping me going at the moment.

[Upbeatmap]

hi Benidormlover

Sorry you are going through this. Tinnitus, anxiety and trouble sleeping are a viscous circle which can be hard to break.

My view is that you need to focus on each thing individually with tinnitus being the hardest to crack.

I’m not a doctor but I really don’t think that Sertraline is going to resolve your tinnitus but it will hopefully help you deal with the anxiety and make it a little easier to cope with the tinnitus.

Sertraline can take a while to kick in and, when I was on it, I had trouble sleeping for the first few months. I don’t know if you can take Amitriptyline with Sertraline but I’d be weary of stopping it while starting Sertraline.

From what I understand, there is no medication that will resolve tinnitus for the vast majority of people. Instead, I believe we should focus on anxiety and sleep as if you can get both of those under control, it will be easier to cope with the tinnitus.

Take care and good luck

[Benidormlover in reply to Upbeatmap]

Thank You for your kind words. Your post came at the right time this morning. As after a bad night of sleep and continually crying it was nice to be reminded that hopefully I can get through this. I think I will give sertraline a chance to work for my anxiety. The doctor said that I can take Amitryptiline with sertraline. There are not many Anti Depressants that you can take with them but he said I should be alright with these. I would like to eventually come off Amitryptiline but I am not in the right frame of mind to make any big decisions as I suffer from OCD, which is not helping my current situation. Hope all is good with you coping with your Tinnitus.

Many Thanks again

[Kellythecat-74 in reply to Benidormlover]

Anxiety makes T worse , So don't stop taking the meds . You'll know when the time is right.

[Chumpiechops in reply to Upbeatmap]

Hi, I take a low dose of both S and A. I get a decent nights sleep and haven’t found the T has increased since being on it. It’s horses for courses with any treatment/medication. Good luck Benidormlover

[Benidormlover in reply to Chumpiechops]

Thank You for your message. That gives me a bit more reassurance, as I would like to try and take both at least for a while. All the 10 years I have been taking Amitriptyline my Tinnitus never got worse and I can sleep well when taking them, and I only started taking Sertraline after my recent spike.

Many Thanks

[Darren6]

I would say knowing you have got through this before should give you strength and confidence you will be able to do it again. The hyperacusis will take time and can helped along with sound therapy, the tinnitus can be managed with lowering stress. less stress, less tinnitus, less stress and you start to reverse the viscous cycle you may be in.I never took and medication to get through mine apart from some early anti sickness for vertigo so I cant comment.

CBT was also very helpful to help reframe situations and reduce negative thoughts.

Take each day as it comes, stay strong minded and look after your body as best as you can to lower your stress. you will see results.

all the best

[Delboy_devon]

A doctor suggested Sertraline to me after a succesful trial. I have tinnitus in both ears severely. In my left for 15 years in my right severely for about 4. I've tried hearing aids, sound generators all sorts but no luck. I'm hoping this will help but I'm concerned. I'm on a fair few meds and an anti depressant worries me.

Good luck to you. I hope you can find peace.

[Benidormlover in reply to Delboy_devon]

Thank You for your response. I think I am going to give sertraline a good try if only to help with my anxiety which hopefully in turn with help me to cope with my tinnitus. Like you I am not too sure about anti depressants but I will try anything. I don’t think I am going to try the masker the audiologist suggested as I just know that I wouldn’t be able to adjust to some other noise in my ear.

It was just a shock that after 10 years of being able to cope, for it to just get suddenly noisier for no apparent reason. I have always had it in both ears and it feels like it is in my head as well, I am suffering with anxiety but I have had this and depression bouts for the last 10 years and the tinnitus has never got noisier before.

That’s what is so worrying about tinnitus it can change in sound and volume for no reason.

Thank You Again and good luck for the future

[Delboy_devon in reply to Benidormlover]

HI Benidorm

Mine has racked up again recently. it literally drives me mad. I'm sure its waking me up.

If people didnt spend so much on wars maybe they could have fixed this and cancer by now.

I know everyone feels their problem is worse maybe thats natural but tininutus is far and away the worst thing I've ever encountered.

Lets hope Sertraline works for us both.

Cheers

Del

[Kellythecat-74]

I use ear phones and listen to LBC . I find listening to people helps me to concentrate on what is being talked about and not on the T. Volume so I can just about hear it.